One man was killed and two women were critically injured in a violent three-vehicle crash on Route 87, just north of Montoursville, about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, according to state police.
The man, whose identity was not released, was traveling south when his Chevrolet Blazer and a northbound Dodge Charger collided head-on in the southbound lane, police said. The Blazer then flipped onto its side.
The collision spewed parts of the wreckage over much of the two-lane road, which was closed for at least three hours as troopers took measurements and photographs at the scene.
Article Photos
PHILIP A. HOLMES/Sun-Gazette
State police Cpl. Curtis Albaugh, an accident reconstructionist from the Montoursville barracks, inspects the wreckage of Thursday night’s fatal crash scene on Route 87, just outside the borough.
The Charger was driven by a woman, who had a female passenger with her, police said. A medical helicopter landed at the scene and took one of the women to the Geisinger Medical Center, in Danville, while the other woman was taken by ambulance to the nearby Williamsport Regional Airport, where she was loaded onto another helicopter that flew her to Geisinger. Their identities also were not available.
Before hitting the Blazer, the Charger had sideswiped a southbound vehicle, which sustained very minor damage, police said. The driver of that vehicle was not hurt, police said.
"There was the initial collision and then the head-on," a police supervisor told a reporter at the scene.
Using extrication tools, Montoursville volunteer firefighters had the two women extricated from the car within minutes. The man was extricated from the wreckage in about 10 minutes. Eldred Township volunteer firefighters assisted at the scene.
Wendy Finnerty, chief deputy county coroner, pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Volunteer fire police, along with the state Department of Transportation, assisted with providing lighting for the helicopter that landed at the scene.
